Genetic Counselling

Abstract

Genetic counselling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications
of genetic contributions to disease. Genetic counselling educational programmes focus on mastery of basic genetics principles,
knowledge of medical genetics within a wide range of medical subspecialties and expertise in counselling techniques and ethical
issues related to genetic conditions. Graduate education programmes first developed in the United States, where genetic counselling
is generally practised by master's prepared allied health professionals. In the past 45 years, the profession has grown to
over 4000 certified genetic counsellors in the United States and Canada, with 61 graduate educational programmes in 17 countries.
Models of genetic counselling and genetic counsellor education develop differently in different countries and different healthcare
systems.

Key Concepts

Genetic counselling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications
of genetic contributions to disease.

Genetic counsellors are allied health professionals who have graduate education in medical genetics and the psychosocial and
ethical aspects of genetic disease, as well as specialised training in counselling techniques.

Genetic counsellors work in many clinical settings (e.g. perinatal genetics, cancer genetics, clinical genetics and subspecialty
clinics) and in public health and policy; diagnostic laboratories; research; industry settings and advocacy and other not‐for‐profit
genetics groups. Genetic counsellors' roles are expanding as they more frequently work in nonclinical settings and newer clinical
settings.

Clinical genetic counsellors collect and assess medical information leading to a diagnosis; calculate and provide risk information;
discuss options; facilitate genetic testing and provide psychosocial support and counselling to aid patients and their families
to adapt to conditions with a genetic component.

Genetic counsellors educate clients, other medical professionals and the public about natural history, inheritance, testing,
management and prevention of genetic disease.

In the United States and Canada, genetic counselling has developed a strong professional identity with a professional society,
certification of genetic counsellors, accreditation of training programmes, a Code of Ethics, a professional journal, a national
scope of practice, licensure and practice‐based competencies.

Genetic counselling is rapidly becoming an international profession with membership in the Transnational Alliance for Genetic
Counseling of 61 graduate programmes in 17 countries across 5 continents.